Shirt-holding mechanism for ironing-boards.



R. W. POWLER. SHIRT HOLDING MEOHANISM FOB IBONINGBOABDS.

` I APPLIOATION FILED 00T. 7, 1908. 937,785. g Patented oec. 26, 1909.

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HANISM FOR-IBONING BOARDS.

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Patented Oct. 26, 1909. y n sanare-sanar n.

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ROBERT W. FOW'LER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, NSYLVANIA.

SHIRT-HOLDING MECHANISM Foa IEoNING-BOAEDS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

Application filed October 7, 1908. Serial N o. 456,603.

Tov all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. FowLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Imp-rovements in Shirt- Holding- Mechanism for Ironing-Boards, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in a shirt holding mechanism' for ironing boards, the object of the invention being primarily to provide improved means for holding the collar of a shirt in proper form for shaping during the ironing operation.

A further object is to provide improvements of this character which will hold a shirt in position on the ironing board leaving the operators hands free to iron vthe shirt.

A further object is to provide means of this character which will permit the shirt to be removed. from the ironing board with the collar band Shaper therein, and thus allow the ,ironing of the ycollar band to be completed with the Shaper in place.

With these and other objectsl in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more-fully hereinafter .described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a perspective view illustrating my improvements in operative position. Fig. 2, is a view in longitudinal section. Fg. 3, is an enlarged plan view showing the collar band shaper and -its coperating stop block on the ironing board. Fig. 4, is a perspective view of the collar band Shaper. Fig. 5, is a view 'in horizontal section of the same, and Fig. 6, is a detail perspective view showing the clamping bar and its means of attachmentl to the ironing board.

1 represents an ironing board of any de- 'sired form and supported in any approved tened or slightly incurved vcontour when ironed, as is now the case with new shirts on the market. AMembers' 3'and 4 are con# nectedvby a screw 5, located in a central opening (3 in member 3, and screwed into member 4. Member 3 has free sliding movement on the screw and an enlarged opening or recess 7 in member 3 accommodates the head of the screw. At the juncture of the openings 6 and 7 a shoulder 8 is formed to limit the movement of the screw head, and hence`restrict the separation of the members 3 `and 4. In members 3 and 4 at both sides of screw 5, tubes 9 and 10 respectively are secured in the opposite faces of members 3 and 4, the tubes 9 being of sufficiently smaller diameter'than tubes l() to freely telescope therein and coil springs 11 are housed in said telescoping tubes and exert pressurel on the members 3 and 4 to normally press them away from eachother and expand the collar to its limit when placed in position thereon. A clamping plate 12, bent as shown, and having a hinge connection -13 with the upper face of member 4, is

-of the same general shape orcontour as the end face of member4, and is adapted when forced over the outer` face of a collar band to clamp the shaper 2 in the band and permit the manipulation of the shirt without danger of the Shaper falling out of the collar band. An angle bar 14 is secured on member 4 to be engaged by a hook 15 to hold the shirt in position for ironing as will more fully hereinafter appear, and a notch 16 is made in the end of member 3 to accommodate a collar button in the front of a collar band. The hook 15 above referred to is pivotally supported. between its ends on the ironing board, and at its rear end is connected by a chain 17 with a treadle 18,

which latter, when depressed, lifts theinner end of hook 15 to an inoperative position. A coil spring 19 exerts a downward pull on hook 15 between its inner end and its pivotal point and holds the hook in operative .position until elevated by the treadle 18. A stop block 2O (against which the rear face of the collar band is held byl shaper 2) is made with a collar band engaging face 21a, substantially the same shape as the rear face of member 4, although of course, the contours of the two faces, to clamp-the rear portion of the collar band between them, are eX- .actly opposite so as to provide parallel walls, constituting 'an even clamping surface at both sides of the band. A clam'ping bar 21 connected, by a spring vhinge 22, to the ironing board 1, which hinge tends to raise the bar away from the board. A pin 23 on the end ofthe bar 21, is .adapted to receive the hinged link or keeper 24 on the edge of the ironing board, to hold the clamping bar down on the shirt and assist in holding the latter in position forv ironing.

The operation of my improvements is as follows: My improved collar bandshaper 2 the shaper thereto.

is contracted bypressing the members 3 vand 4 toward each other and then inserted inside Ythe collar band of the shirt vand allowed to expand, the springs 11 serving to expand the collar band to itslimit and cause it to lie smoothly around the edge ofthe Shaper. The shirt is then, lwith the .Shaper in "posi- `tion,.placed`upon the ironing board, with the rear portion ofthe collar band tightly against the stop block 20,-and hook `15 is permitted to be drawn down by spring 19 and engages over the angle bar 14 of member 4 and tightly clamps the rear portion of the collar band between the member l4 andl block 20. The shirt after being carefully smoothed 'out is then further clampedin position by means of bar 21, which latter is drawn down across the shirt and secured by means of the keeper 24. After the shirt has been ironed as much as it canbe in this position, treadle 18 is operated to lift the hook 15, and lbar 21 is released from keeper 24 and will spring upwardv out ofthe way. The collar band can then be moved away-from block 20 and the clamping plate 12 forced over the outer face of the collar band to effectually clamp A In this position the shirtcan then be manipulatedto finish the ironing operation without danger of the shaper becoming displaced.

While I have illustrated and described what I'believe to be a preferred form of my improvements, a great many changes might be made withoutdeparting from my invention, and hence I do not restrict myself to the precise details set forth, butconsidel` my'- self at liberty to make such' changes and .aln terations as fairly fall Within the spirit and scolfpe` of my invention.

aving thus described' my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent is:

1. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with an ironing board,. of a block thereon, a collar band shaper and a hook ,on the ironing board'constructed to engage the shaper `and clamp'a collar band between lthe Shaper and the said its ends on said ironing board and con# structed at one end to engage the. Shaper, and clamp a collar band between the Shaper and said block, and means connected with the other end of said, hook for elevating the same out ofengagement with the shaper.

4. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with an ironing board, of a block thereon, a collar band shaper, a hook pivotally mounted between its ends on said ironing board and constructed 'at one end toa engage the shaper, and clamp a collar band between the shaper and said block, vatreadl'e, and a flexible connecting device between said treadle and the other end of said hook, whereby the latter may be operated by the treadle.

5. In la mechanism of the character described, the combination with an 'ironing board, of a block thereon, a collar band Shaper, a hook pivotally. mounted .between -its ends on said ironing board and constructed at one end to yengage the shaper, and clamp a collarband between the Shaper @and said block, a treadle; a flexible connecting device between said treadle and the other end of said hook, whereby the latter may be operatedP by the treadle,I and a spring exerting'downward pressureon said hook between its Shaper engaging end and I its pivotal point. p

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT w. FowLEn. Witnesses: l

R. H. KRENKL, J. A. L. MULHALL. 

